Sam Clay

Samuel Thomas Hunter Clay (born June 21, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Nationals and New York Mets. The Minnesota Twins selected Clay in the fourth round of the 2014 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut with the Nationals in 2021.

Amateur career
Clay attended Buford High School in Buford, Georgia. He enrolled at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he played college baseball for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. As a draft-eligible sophomore, the Minnesota Twins selected Clay in the fourth round of the 2014 MLB draft.

Minnesota Twins
Clay pitched in the Twins' minor league system from 2014 to 2019. In 2020, he was a non-roster invitee to Minnesota's 60-man player pool, working out at the alternate training site at CHS Field in St. Paul.

The Twins never added Clay to their major league roster, and he became a minor league free agent after the 2020 season.

Washington Nationals
On November 18, 2020, the Washington Nationals announced they had signed Clay to a major league contract, adding him to a major league roster for the first time in his playing career. On April 6, 2021, Clay was promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He made his MLB debut the next day, throwing a shutout inning against the Atlanta Braves.

He was designated for assignment on July 1, 2022, by Washington.

Philadelphia Phillies
On July 5, 2022, the Philadelphia Phillies acquired Clay off waivers from the Nationals and sent him to the minor leagues. He was designated for assignment on July 8.

New York Mets
On July 10, 2022, Clay was claimed off waivers by the New York Mets. He tossed one scoreless inning of relief before he was designated for assignment on August 20. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple–A Syracuse Mets on August 23. In 19 games in Syracuse, Clay registered a 3.97 ERA with 25 strikeouts in $22 2⁄3$ innings of work. He elected free agency following the season on November 10.

Arizona Diamondbacks
On December 12, 2022, Clay signed a minor league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks with an invite to spring training. Clay was released by the organization on March 24, 2023.

Detroit Tigers
On April 30, 2023, Clay signed a minor league deal with the Detroit Tigers organization. In 42 games for the Triple–A Toledo Mud Hens, he logged a 6–3 record and 5.16 ERA with 53 strikeouts across $52 1⁄3$ innings of work. Clay elected free agency following the season on November 6.

Olmecas de Tabasco
On May 26, 2024, Clay signed with the Olmecas de Tabasco of the Mexican League. In 16 games for Tabasco, he struggled to a 7.15 ERA with 11 strikeouts across $11 1⁄3$ innings pitched. Clay was waived by the Olmecas on July 4.

Leones de Yucatán
On July 5, 2024, Clay was claimed off waivers by the Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League.

Pitching style
Clay is noted as an extreme groundball pitcher who rarely allows home runs. His pitching arsenal includes a sinking fastball and an above-average curveball.